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Last Updated: 06/06/18 4:48pm

Should Toro Rosso drop Brendon Hartley from their driver stable so early into the season and replace him with McLaren junior Lando Norris?

That question is up for debate on this week’s F1 Report – after reports suggested Toro Rosso had asked McLaren about loaning their teenage driver, currently on top of the F2 championship, for the rest of the season.

That request was rejected by McLaren, but still paints a dark cloud of Brendon Hartley’s future with the team he only joined towards the end of last season, replacing Daniil Kvyat.

Toro Rosso made move to sign Lando Norris on loan for rest of season. Understand they wanted Norris from next month’s Austrian GP. McLaren declined proposal. McLaren: ‘We’re not surprised that other teams approach our drivers. They clearly believe they’re as talented as we do.’

Alex Lynn, formerly a Lotus and Williams F1 test driver and now competing in Formula E and WEC, along with F3 championship leader Enaam Ahmed, are in the studio this week and discussed Toro Rosso’s options.

“From my side I’m really impressed by Lando, he’s had a fantastic career already and I’m sure he will continue to have a fantastic career,” Lynn said on the F1 Report: Canada Preview, which first airs on Sky Sports F1 at 8.30pm.

“But I think it would be a bit disappointing see someone vacate the Toro Rosso seat so early in the season and from my side that’s not the right way to go. But we’ve seen decisions like this from Red Bull quite often.”

Hartley is under pressure in 2018 after an inconsistent start to the season, with Pierre Gasly scoring 18 points to his one. Toro Rosso reportedly asked McLaren to loan Norris from the Austrian GP, which is round nine of the 21-race season.

And Lynn, who used to be part of the Red Bull junior programme, added: “I’m well aware of the pressure Dr Helmut Marko {Red Bull adviser] likes to put on his drivers.”